andrew das

The apostle Paul wrote a passionate letter to the Galatians, offering a rare glimpse into the early history of the emerging Christian movement. At the center of debate is whether Gentile Christians should be compelled to obey the Law of Moses, or if justification is purely by grace. A. Andrew Das delivers an informed and well-researched interpretation of that letter and its implications, and critiques the analyses of others in the latest Concordia Commentary volume, Galatians.

Rev. Dr. Christopher Mitchell, Concordia Commentary Editor, says:

“Galatians stands at the center of the storm in modern Pauline scholarship—a hotbed of theological controversy over justification, whether it is by faith in Christ or by the faithfulness of Christ, the shape of the Christian life, and the role of the Law.

The apostle is seething with righteous indignation over the events at Galatia even as he conveys his hope that the Galatians might be coaxed back to the true Gospel.

The young faith was grappling with issues that would prove to be a watershed. Das has written a sophisticated commentarythat considers the full array of proposals from the ‘new perspective’ on Paul and the Law. He offers a trustworthy path through the controversies that will satisfy those searching for a viable solution to the impasse.”

Concordia Publishing House is pleased to announce the release of its twenty-sixth volume in the Concordia Commentary series: Galatians, by Dr. A. Andrew Das.

In modern Pauline scholarship, the ultimate insult is to label an approach “Lutheran.” Most scholars presume that when it comes to the interpretation of Galatians, Luther got it wrong. Although confessional Lutheran theology is grounded largely in Paul’s letters to the Galatians and to the Romans, the raging scholarly critiques of it over the last few decades have gone unanswered from within conservative Lutheran ranks. If Martin Luther considered Paul’s Letter to the Galatians the biblical equivalent of his Katie von Bora, then the time is ripe for a Lutheran commentary on Galatians that takes into account the full range of modern scholarship on the letter. The length of this volume by Dr. Das and the relative brevity of Galatians permit this commentary to include extended discussions of its exegetical problems. Dr. Das has written the first faithfully Lutheran commentary that considers the full array of proposals from the “new perspective” on Paul and the Law. He offers a trustworthy path through the controversies that will satisfy those searching for a viable solution to the impasse. The reader may engage this commentary at whatever level is fitting for his or her needs, whether the layperson who goes right for the conclusions, the pastor who is concerned with theological proclamation, or the scholar who wishes to scrutinize the author’s position on a particular exegetical debate.